Moistening device for gummed objects



May 23 1944 c. D. RYAN Erm. I 2,349,564

MOISTENING DEVICE FOR GUMMED OBJECTS Filed Ju'ly 14, 1941 Arran/Veys.

Patented May 23, 1944 MOISTENING DEVICE. FR GUMMED OBJECTS Commodore D. Ryan and Edward P. Drake, Los Angeles, Calif., assig'nors to National Postal Meter Company, Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 14, 1941, Serial No. 402,336

9 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for moistening surfaces of sheet objects such as are commonly used for moistening gummed tape, envelopes, and the like. It is particularly useful in postage printing machines of the type shown in Commodore D. Ryan, et al. application Ser. No. 369,570, led December 11, 1940, for Printing machine.

An object of this invention is to provide a particularly simple moistening unit that is inexpensive to construct, and reliable and durable in operation.

Another object is to provide a device of the type referred to which is very easily adjusted either to moisten the tape fed therepast, or to deliver the tape unmoistened.

Another object is to provide a moistening pot adapted to contain water or other liquid and transfer it through capillary action to a gummed strip, in which the device has an opening through which it may be lled but so constructed as to prevent liquid splashing out through the opening when the device is moved quickly.

The manner in which the foregoing objects, together with other objects and features of the invention are attained, will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the attached drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a moistening device in accordance with the invention, shown attached to a support;

' Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the device;

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, but showing the device in a different position of adjustment;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the device, the view being taken along the line IV--IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section, taken in the plane V-V of Fig. 4, which is incidentally the planes of Figs. 2 and 3;

Fig, 6 is a detail section, taken in the plane VI-VI of Fig. 5;

' Fig. 7 is a vertical detail section through the iilling lip of the device; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the rubber sealing gasket employed in the device.

Referring rst to Fig. 1, the moistening device of the .present invention comprises a receptacle ill, hereinafter referred to as the tank, which is adapted to be supported on a tape-treating machine with which the moistener is to be used. The tape-treating machine may bey a postage meter of the type referred to in the Ryan, et al. application hereinabove referred to.. The tank I0 has watertight sides and bottom walls except for a filler opening I I on one side, which filler opening is defined by a, spout member I2 either bent out from the wall of the tank or attached thereto, the construction being similar to that on a conventional coieepot. The tank Ill is adapted to be mounted on an arm I3' provided for that purpose on the machine to which the moistener is attached, and in Fig. 1 this arm I3 is shown pivotally mounted on a vertical post I4. The arm I3 has a vertical finger I3d, which is received in a socket on the tank Ill, this socket being formed by a strap I5 welded or otherwise secured to the tank. The strap I5 may be slotted, as indicated at I6, to define a pair of spring tongues I'I, which yieldably engage the finger I3a and press the latter snugly against the wall of the tank. The upper tongue I l may have a detent I8 pressed out therefrom to engage a cooperating recess in the finger I3a and thereby yieldably lock the tank to the linger.

In some machines with which the present moistening device may be used, the arm I3 may be pivotally mounted for swinging movement between two positions. A structure for permitting such movement may comprise a post I4, and the movement may be accomplished by a rack Illa, meshing with a gear segment |31)` on arm I 3.

As shown to best advantage in Fig. 2, the upper edges of the side walls bear against a gasket 2D, the latter being compressed between the edges of the side Walls and a cap 2l which covers the top of the device. The cap has a downwardly extending flange 22 which snugly engages the upper portion of the side wall of the tank so as to frictionally retain the cover in position.

The cover 2| supports a guide for the tape and a brush for conducting water from the tank to the tape to moisten the latter as it is projected through the guide. Thus there is rigidly secured to the underside of the cover 2| a bracket 23 (Fig. 2) which extends downwardly nearly to the bottom of the tank I0 where it is folded back to form a U-shaped clamp portion 24 which frictionally engages the ferrule 25 of a. bristle brush 26, the latter extending upwardly alongside the bracket 23 and through an opening 21 in the cover 2|. The upper end of the brush 26 is adapted to be shifted by a shifting member 28 betweenan inactive position, shown in Fig. 2, in which the upper end of the brush is clear of the tape 29, into an active position shown in Fig. 3, in which the tip of the brush bears against the tape 29.

The path of the tape 29 is fixed and is determined by a guide 3|) fixedly secured to the cover 2|. The guide includes an upper guide plate 3| and a lower guide plate 32 between which the tape 29 passes. Both the plates 3| and 32 are supported by extensions 33 (Fig. l) which extensions are secured to the flange 22 of the cover.

Both the guide plates 3| and 32 are curved so that the tape 29 is bent during its passage therebetween. This is advantageous in that it causes the plate to frictionally engage the tape at all times, and acts to yieldably retain a section of tape left therein so that it does not fall out, although it can be easily pulled out. The entry end of the upper plate 3| is bent upwardly away from the lower plate 32 to facilitate the entry of the end of the tape into the guide.

The shifting member 28 is substantially coextensive with the cover 2| and overlies it, as shown in Fig. 4. It is provided with a wide slot for the passage of the brush 25, the slot being formed by splitting the member and folding the edges of the split upwardly to define a pair of lips 35 and 36 (Fig. 2). UpwardlyA extending lips or flanges 50 may be provided at the ends of the slot to prevent the brush from spreading out. The upper edges of the lips 35 and 36 are spaced apart a distance substantially greater than the thickness of the brush and the edge of the lip 35 is positioned somewhat lower than the edge of lip 36 so that when the shifting member 28 is shifted to the right, as shown in Fig. 2, the lip 35 bends the brush about a shoulder 38 on the bracket 23 and interconnects with the upper edge of the lip 36, in which position the end of the brush is substantially spaced from the tape 29 as the latter issues from the guide 3%. Hence in this position of the apparatus, the tape will be delivered dry.

The shifting member 28 can be shifted to the left (as will be described later) into the position shown in Fig, 3, in which the edge of the lip 35 has recessed away from the brush and the latter lies against the lip 33 and is held by the latter lip in contact with the tape 29 close to the point of issuance thereof from the guide 3l). Under these conditions, the tape will be moistened by the brush as it passes thereover and will be delivered in wet condition, ready to be pasted on an object.

The shifting member 28 is guided for sliding movement on the cover 2| by a pair of inturned lips 39 (Fig. 4) which are formed integrally with the end extensions 33 of the lower guide member 32. The shifting member 28 is also guided and yeldably restrained in either of its two extreme positions by a spring button 40 which engages the sides of a ligure-8 slot 4| in the member 28. The button 4D has e. downwardly extending stem 43 which extends through a hole provided therefor in the cover 2| and has its lower end surrounded by a helical spring 44 which is compressed between the cover 2| and a washer 45 secured to the stem 43 by a spring ring 46, partially received in an annular groove in the stem 43. The underedge of of the button 43 is conical in shape, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and tends to remain in one end or the other of the figure-8 slot 4| so as to yieldably retain the shifting member 28 in either the inactive position shown in Fig. 2, or the active position shown in Fig. 3. However, the member 28 can be shifted from either position to the other by pressing on an upstanding lug 41 on the member 23, the spring 44 yielding to permit the button 40 to rise and pass the constricted portion of the figure-8 slot.

When devices of the type described are mounted for swinging movement on the tape-treating machine with which they are associated, violent or sudden movement tends to splash water out of the tank through the ller opening I. To reduce the chance of such leakage, we have formed the gasket 2|) with an extension 20a which extends downwardly and overlies the inner orice of the opening as shown in Fig. '7. The gasket does not t sufciently tightly against the opening to prevent the filling of the tank through the opening. However, it does prevent water being splashed out through the opening in response to sudden movement or sudden stopping of the tank.

It will be observed that at the discharge end of the guide 3|) the lower guide plate 32 is terminated at a little short of the upper guide plate 3|, so that when the brush is in active position, as shown in Fig. 3, it contacts the tape very close to the plate 3|, and the latter tends to hold the tape against the brush. If desired, the plate 3| can be extended even further than shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to provide additional support for the tape on the side opposite the brush.

Although for the purpose of explaining our invention a particular embodiment thereof has been described in great detail, it is to be understood that various changes can be made from the exact construction shown without departing from the invention, which is to be limited only to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A device for moistening tape comprising: a liquid receptacle, a tape guiding chute xedly supported above said receptacle for projecting tape through a predetermined path, a brush having its lower end xedly anchored adjacent the bottom of said receptacle and having its upper end projecting from said receptacle and movable brush-guiding means slidably mounted on the upper end of said receptacle and defining an oririce through which said brush projects, said member being movable between a first position in which it supports the upper end of said brush against tape discharged through said chute, and an inactive position in which it supports the upper end of said brush clear of tape discharged through said chute.

2. A device as described in claim 1, in which said chute is positioned to direct tape upwardly at an acute angle to the horizontal, and said brush-moving mechanism moves substantially horizontally to carry the brush into and out of the path of the tape.

3. A device for moistening tape comprising: a liquid receptacle, means for feeding liquid from said receptacle upwardly to a tape moved past the said receptacle above the liquid level therein,

a detachable lid for said receptacle, a. gasket for sealing between said lid and receptacle, the latter having a port in the side thereof for replenishing the liquid supply therein without removing the lid, said gasket having a flap portion overlapping said port to prevent liquid splashing out from said port when said device is moved.

4. A device for moistening tape comprising: a liquid receptacle, means for feeding the liquid from said receptacle upwardly to a tape moved past the receptacle above the liquid level therein, means at least partially closing the top of said receptacle, a filler opening in the side of said receptacle, and flexible iiap means overlying the inner side of said filler opening to prevent liquid splashing out of said opening when said device is moved.

5 A device for moistening tape comprising: a liquid receptacle. Vmeans for feeding the liquid from said receptacle upwardly to a tape moved past the receptacle above the liquid level therein, means at least partially closing the top of said receptacle, a ller opening in the side of said receptacle, flexible flap means overlying the inner side of said filler opening to prevent liquid splashing out of said opening when said device is moved, and means supporting said receptacle for swinging movement about a vertical axis, said filler opening being in that side of the receptacle closest to said axis of swinging movement.

6. A device for moistening tape comprising, in combination, a liquid receptacle, a tape chute mounted thereon for guiding a tape in a predetermined path past said receptacle, a brush for conducting liquid from said receptacle to a tape adapted to be moved through said tape chute, means supporting the upper end of said brush against movement in the direction of travel of said tape, and means for moving said supporting means in the direction of travel of said tape to move the upper end of said brush out of the path of said tape.

7. A device for moistening tape comprising, in combination, a liquid receptacle, a tape chute mounted thereon for guiding a tape in a predetermined path past said receptacle, a brush for conducting liquid from said receptacle to a tape adapted to be moved through said tape chute, means for supporting the upper end of said brush in an erect position where it is engaged by the tape as the tape is moved along its predetermined path, and means for bending said brush in the direction of movement of said tape to remove the upper end of the brush out of the path of movement of the tape.

8. A device as described in claim 6, wherein said brush supporting means includes stationary means for xedly supporting the lower end of the brush within said receptacle.

9. A device for moistening tape comprising, in combination, a liquid receptacle, a tape chute mounted thereon for guiding a tape in a predetermined path past said receptacle, a brush for conducting liquid from said receptacle to a tape adapted to be moved through said tape chute, a plate slidably mounted on said receptaole, and means forming an opening in said plate through which said brush is adapted to extend, said plate being movable between two positions, in one of which the brush is held in a position to contact the tape as it is delivered through said Chute and in the other of which the brush is moved clear of the tape delivered through said chute.

COMMODORE D. RYAN. EDWARD P. DRAKE. 

